As we wrap up 2024, . . .

Hi students,

Please remember that E-Style will be closed for the next two weeks. Lessons will resume (再び始まる) on Monday, January 6, 2025.

As we wrap up (終わりにする・締めくくる) 2024, Jack and I want to thank all of you for studying English by taking classes at E-Style and/or by reading this blog. We are looking forward to seeing (and teaching) you in 2025, also known as (～としても知られている) Reiwa 7 or "The Year of the Snake." 🐍

Wishing you all the best for the New Year, I remain

Your devoted teacher,

Alan

🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍

60s Psychedelic Junior High School Student!

Hi Music Lovers,

I would like to introduce (紹介する) you to a brand new (真新しい) YouTube channel called "60sサイケ中学生."

As the name implies (示すように), the site is run by a junior high school student who loves psychedelic rock and roll. He plays a mean guitar (ギターを上手に弾く) and even introduces the songs. 

If you have a chance, click on the following link to check out one of his first videos: "If Jimi Hendrix had played "Jumpin' Jack Flash."

In tune,

Alan

P.S. Can you guess what the connection is between "60s Psychedelic Junior High School Student" and E-Style?

和十 do?

Hi again fellow linguists,

In May, I told you about how the students in my beginner (入門) classes learned to pronounce (発音する) "Where did you go?" like a native speaker. Actually, along with "Where 十五？" I have also written the following on the whiteboard at E-Style from time to time (時々): "和十 do?" 

Just like with "Where 十五？",  after a little practice (練習) my students have been able to pronounce "What did you do?" (あなたは何をしましたか) like someone born and raised (生まれ育ち) in the U.S.A. We have also practiced the same pattern using other verbs. Here are some examples:

• 和十 eat? (何を食べましたか)
• 和十 buy? (何を買いましたか)
• 和十 study? (何を勉強しましたか) 

Of course, everyone's answer to the last question is always "English communication!" (Ha-ha). Anyway (とにかく), once again, mixing kanji with English has enabled my students to improve (上達する) their skills in a fun way.

蛾打五、

Alan

P.S. I have got to go. → I've gotta go. → Gotta go. → 蛾打五

P.P.S. Generally speaking (一般と言えば), Americans pronounce the letter "t" like "d." That's why I translated (翻訳した) "Gotta go" as 「蛾打五」and not 「蛾多五」.

Autumn/Fall is the season for studying English!

Hi students,

There are several expressions (表現) used to describe autumn/fall (秋) here in Japan. For example, we say 食欲の秋, 収穫の秋, 芸術の秋, スポーツの秋, and, of course, 読書の秋. But because of cultural differences, these expressions can be a little difficult to translate/interpret (少し翻訳・通訳し難い) into English. Perhaps the easiest way is to use the sentence pattern "Autumn/Fall is the season for 〜." Here are some examples:

• Autumn/Fall is the season for eating.
• Autumn/Fall is the season for the harvest.
• Autumn/Fall is the season for art.
• Autumn/Fall is the season for (playing) sports.
• Autumn/Fall is the season for reading.

By the way (ところで), a new term at E-Style will start this coming Monday, September 9th. So, perhaps another useful expression using the above pattern might be the following:

Autumn/Fall is the season for studying English!

Jack and I hope to teach you English conversation this autumn/fall.

See you at E-Style,

Alan

Where 十五？

Hi fellow linguists,

The other day (この間) in one of my beginner classes, I wrote the following on the whiteboard: "Where 十五？" At first, the students looked at my mixture of English and Japanese and didn't know what to make of it (それをどう考えたら良いか分からなかった). However, after reading it aloud (それを音読したら) at native speed and then very slowly, everyone could understand that "Where 十五？" was actually "Where did you go?" 

Native speakers often use contractions (短縮形) in their conversations. An example in Japanese is「そりゃ」for「それは」. Some common English examples are "gonna" (going to) and "wanna" (want a / want to). "Where 十五？" is a little different because there is no way to write it out exactly (正確に) as it sounds. "Where'd you go?" (contracting "where" and "did") is probably the closest, but it is still not perfect.

This is a rare case in which Japanese fluency can help one's English. Because by reading the kanji for "fifteen" after the English word "Where," my students were able to sound just like native speakers from the U.S.A. And by practicing it over and over, they were also able to understand the question even when I asked it at "native speed." In no time (すぐに), not only had my students improved their communication skills, but they had also had a little fun in class while doing it.

Time to 五,

Alan

Ready to Leap!

Hi leap-year lovers,

2024 is a leap year (閏年), a.k.a. (～としても知られている) an intercalary year or a bissextile year. Today, February 29th, is known as "leap day" in English, or 閏日 (うるうび又はじゅんじつ) in Japanese. Since the earth's orbit around the sun is not exactly 365 days, we have this extra day once every four years (4年度に) to synchronize the calendar with the astronomical year, a.k.a. the solar year (太陽年). 

Ready to leap into March,

Alan

P.S. The term "a.k.a." is an abbreviation (省略、短縮) for "also known as."

You Say You Want a Resolution!

Happy New Year!

Hello students of English,

I hope that you have been enjoying 2024 so far (今までのところ). 

Classes at E-Style resumed this past Monday, January 8th. All this week, I have been asking my students what their New Year's resolutions (新年の抱負[誓い・決意]) are for this year. I am happy to report that several people answered "I resolve to improve my English." In this sentence, the word "resolve" is the verb form (動詞の形態) of "resolution." In Japanese, "resolve to 〜" is 「〜を決心する」while "improve〜" means 「〜を上達する」. 

As I have resolved to continue to help you improve your English, here is a list of some of the most popular resolutions in the United States:

• I resolve to lose weight (痩せる).
• I resolve to exercise more (もっと運動する). / I resolve to get in shape (体を鍛える).
• I resolve to quit smoking (たばこをやめる).
• I resolve to quit drinking (酒をやめる). / I resolve to drink less (酒を控えめにする).
• I resolve to make money (お金を稼ぐ). / I resolve to save money (お金を貯める).

Good luck in achieving (達成すること) all of your goals in 2024!

Resolutely yours,

Alan